Gary Allen Kuiper

On Tuesday, June 14, 2016, Gary Allen Kuiper of Rockville, Maryland went home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ at age 65 while vacationing in North Carolina.

Gary was born on April 3, 1951 in Denver, Colorado.He was one of six children to the late Cornelius and Angenita (Toeset) Kuiper.

During Vietnam, Gary volunteer for the United States Army, serving in the infantry.He spent three years in the Army, serving mostly in Germany.There he guarded Nazi prisoners such as Rudolph Hess.Gary’s time in the Army was part of a family tradition of military service.His father served in the Army in World War II, Two brothers served in the Air Force and Coast Guard respectively and two of his sons served in the Marine Corps, one of which is still serving today.

Following his time in the Army, Gary went to Calvin College and earned his Bachelor’s Degree.He then went to Georgetown University Law Center and became a lawyer.To help support himself through school, he worked at a halfway house for people recently released from prison.After law school, Gary took a position as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge Wendell Miles and Magistrate Judge Hugh W. Brennemanin Grand Rapids, Michigan, both of whom he was very fond.Gary then moved to Houston, Texas to become an assistant to Special Master Vincent Nathan, in the supervision of the Texas prison system.He later worked for the Resolution Trust Corporation and then transitioned to the FDIC where he worked as legal counsel for nearly 30 years, until his death.

One of Gary’s true joys in life was to travel. When he was a teenager, he even hitchhiked from Colorado to Alaska, just to surprise his brother.Gary also visited several countries throughout Europe and the Middle East.

Gary had the "gift of gab" and was also a good listener. He was not a "know it all", but he was interested in learning about all things because he genuinely wanted to know the "how" and "why". He was a kind and generous person. However, one should never expect Gary to arrive on time, as all of the mentioned traits usually made him late.

Gary was a member of Silver Spring Christian Reformed Church.Since childhood, Gary loved his Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.Gary tried to follow in his footsteps until his final day.Through the church, he was part of the Refugee Sponsorship Committee, Friends in Action, provided free legal assistance to help struggling families, visited the elderly members of the church and volunteered at area soup kitchens.Gary was also known for sending school supplies to children in Afghanistan while his son was deployed to the country with the Marine Corps.

Gary is survived by his wife Galena (Mitkovetskaya); Son and daughter-in-law Michael and Sherry of Edgewater, MD; Son and daughter-in-law Boris and Lauren of Rockville Maryland; Son and daughter-in-law Alexander and Hillary of Houston, TX; Son David of Arlington, VA; Three grandchildren; Belle, Isaiah and Elizabeth and many nieces and nephews.Gary is also survived by his brothers and sisters, Ed and Mary Kuiper; Cathy and Ron Bennett; Bob and Judy Kuiper; Rick Kuiper; Betty and Kerry Gesink.

A viewing will be held Friday, June 24, 2016 from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Robert A. Pumphrey Funeral Home, 300 W Montgomery Ave., Rockville, MD 20850.

Funeral services will take place on Saturday, June 25, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. at Parklawn Memorial Park, 12800 Viers Mill Road, Rockville MD 20853.Following the funeral service, there will be a memorial service at 11:00 a.m. at Silver Spring Christian Reformed Church, 1501 Arcola Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20902.There will be a potluck to follow at the church.